Less Than 3 Percent of Americans Live a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’

I think most of us know just how “SAD” (Standard American Diet) our diets are here in the west and the statistics agree: more than half of what we eat is considered “ultra processed”, the average American male has a BMI of just under the medical definition of obese, and a 2013 ranking of affluent countries’ health listed us as LAST. And if all that isn’t enough for you, here’s one more fun stat, less than 3 percent of us meet the very basic qualifications for living a “healthy lifestyle”, according to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. To qualify in the “basic” category for that study, you must:

  • Exercise at a moderate or vigorous rate for at least 150 minutes a week
  • Have a diet score in the top 40 percent on the Healthy Eating Index
  • Have a body fat percentage under 20 percent (for men) or 30 percent (for women)
  • Not smoke

OUCH.

The team gathered data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2006 and used a representative sample of 4,745 Americans. “Eating habits were self-reported, which can be unreliable, but other measures were based on objective tests, including blood samples to verify smoking status, a sophisticated X-ray test to determine body fat, and accelerometers to measure physical activity,” reported the New York Times.

Of those in the study:

  • 71.5 percent of adults were non-smokers
  • 46.5 percent got enough exercise
  • 37.9 percent had a healthy diet (but only 9.6 percent had what the study calls “a normal body-fat percentage)

Only 2.7 percent of people met all four of the conditions. Another OUCH.

The biggest issue seemed to be healthy body weight. While men were more likely to be active, women were more likely to be non-smokers and eat healthy diets. And yet, meeting more than one of those four qualifications was associated with having fewer risk factors (like high cholesterol and high blood pressure) for cardiovascular disease.

Being active and having a healthy body fat percentage does your body and mind good! For women sometimes it’s as easy as getting your hormones under control, or maybe you just need to stop and take stock of your weight loss plan, but no matter what- just don’t give up.

For tips on healthy eating and to hear my health story, click here. Just remember, don’t be afraid to ask for help on your journey toward health. There are tons of online and brick and mortar support networks out there. It’s time for American’s to get serious about the state of our health. We can do it!

Source: The Atlantic and NY Times